This patent is directed to a vibratory apparatus with multiple decks and a method for operating such a vibratory apparatus, and, in particular, to a vibratory screening apparatus with multiple screening decks and a method for use of the same.
It is common to have a multi-deck screening apparatus, with each successive screening deck described as being above the preceding deck, and the surface of each lower deck being completely covered by the deck immediately above that lower deck, from inlet to outlet of the apparatus. The largest material flows over the uppermost deck from the inlet to the outlet, while smaller material flows through the uppermost deck to the next lowest deck. This process repeats until the smallest material passes through the lowestmost deck out of the apparatus, or to a floor and then along the floor and out of the apparatus. The material that does not pass through a particular screening deck may be collected at the outlet end of that screening deck.
One disadvantage of such a screening apparatus is that to clean, repair or replace the lowermost deck, or any of the intermediate decks, one must first remove the upper decks. Moreover, it is not possible to visualize from above the motion of the material across the lowermost deck, for example, because of the intermediate decks. Of course, while a screening apparatus having a single deck would avoid these disadvantages, such a solution avoids disadvantages of a multi-deck screening apparatus while also losing the advantages of a multi-deck screening apparatus.